Opening to his Heart
by laughs I moved to a new thing
Summary: Akira Takahiro, a girl who has lost everything in her life, meets up with three other war orphans. What happens when she comes to love one, though she knows he does not feel the same of her? T language/slight sexual themes in later chapters.
1. Prologue

_**Yes, yet another single chapter of a story. This is just the prologue, and it tells a very short summary of the main character's past. There will be much, much more detail in the actual chapters, but for now, I bring you: **_

_Opening to his Heart_

_Prologue_

My life had been good. My parents had always been supportive of my wishes, and tried to encourage me to do what my heart desired. Actually, my life had been just about perfect. I had a brother and a sister, both younger than I am, and they both loved me so. My brother, Shikyo, was six years old, had always loved me, and we had almost never fought. My sister, Miki, was only two years old, but she still loved me, as I loved her back. My parents were what you might call a bit excessive, as they would constantly hover over me, making sure that I was alright, but I loved them anyway. We were a poor family, but my parents managed.

I was born in the small city of Amegakure ruled by a young Hanzo. My home was a small home ― quaint, and not unlike the other homes in the city.

I have dark brown hair that comes straight down to my lower back and large violet colored eyes. My hair is cut to just over my shoulders in the summertime by my best and most trusted friend, Konan, and is left to grow out over the course of time, just to be cut again the next summer.

My parents had died fighting three ninja that had broken in to our home. I remember it clearly. the sound of kunai and swords and shuriken clashing together... the sight of the crimson red blood on the floor... the bodies of my parents, lying limp on the floor in front of me.... it was all just too much to bear. Days after, my brother and sister had fallen ill. I had not had any kind of ninja training, let alone medical training, so I did not have a clue as to what I was to do. A week had passed, and they both died days within each other's deaths.

It was during the second Ninja World War that I, Akira Takahiro, met up with the only three people I knew I could trust when my family had died. During that war, three ninja travelers from Konahagakure had come to Ame, and, to be quite honest, the only one who wasn't afraid was Yahiko. Nagato, Konan, and I were all afraid and wary of these newcomers, which was expected of three nine year old war orphans. The woman, who had become the fifth Hokage, seemed untrusting of the four of us, as did the black-haired man. The white-haired man, however, agreed to teach us Ninjutsu, and take us under his wing. We had trained for three years, and obviously improved.

Konan had been the one to find me when I was out on the street, in front of a local grocery story. She had reached out to me when she was taking a walk, she said, and she had asked me what I was doing. I had told her about my parents, and the ninjas that had attacked them and broken into my house. I told her about my siblings' illness that they had gotten just days after our parents' death, and how alone I felt. She had told me to wait where I was, and, since I trusted her, even though I did not know her, I did what she had told me.

She had come back about ten minutes or so later, accompanied by two boys that looked to be about her age. I had come to know these boys as Yahiko and Nagato, and they had become my next best friends.

It was the first time in the three years that I had been alone that I felt like I was not alone. That I had people who cared about me. People who would risk their lives for me, as I would do the same for them.

Nagato had always been there for me. He said that all he wanted to do was protect the three of us, despite the pain that he would have to go through. To be honest, I believed in him and his dream.

Yahiko had also been there for me, but not in quite the same way as Nagato had.

It was ever since my family had died that I realized I could only trust my three companions.

This is how it all happened. This is my story. This is the story of how my life had fallen apart, and rebuilt from scratch.

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Well, what do you guys think? Let me know by clicking that little button below. ^^


	2. Alone

_**Chapter number two of this story. =D I hope you like it!~**_

_Opening to his Heart_

_Chapter 1: Alone_

"Akira, honey, would you run to the store for me?" my mother called from the door, beckoning me from the doorway that led inside our small home.

I ran from where I was, playing with my little brother to amuse him in the street just outside of my house. "Sure, not a problem. What do you need?"

She handed me a list. "Here. It's a list of everything I need. There isn't much, because money's been tight recently, but there should be enough for the rest of this week."

I smiled. "Okay! I'll be back soon, Mom."

"Thank you, honey." my mother said as I ran off. I heard my mother call after me, "And be careful!"

I rolled my eyes, still running. _Yea, I don't think any ninja's gonna be attacking me, a small girl with no ninja training or experience. I mean, Dad's at war. Isn't that enough to be worried about?_

I got to the store, picked up what my mother needed, and was out of the store within minutes. I walked home, thinking about my father, hoping he would be okay and come back from the war.

It had taken me only a few short minutes to walk home, and when I arrived, I had a great surprise awaiting me.

"DAD!!!!" I yelled happily, running to greet my father and embracing him in a hug. "Oh, it's been too long! It's so great to have you back!"

He chuckled a bit, but it sounded very restrained. "Yes, and it's great to be back. It has been too long."

I pulled away now, looking him in the eyes. "Why are you so restrained all of a sudden?" I asked, cocking my head to the side a bit.

He looked at me, too. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not restrained."

I gave him a skeptical look. "I can hear it in your voice. What's wrong?"

He sighed. "Just being back from the war, having so much happen in such little time…." he trailed off.

I narrowed my eyes a bit, but let it go.

We had a bit of family time before the little ones went to sleep, just talking and the little ones playing a game, and when the time had finally come, both of my parents decided to lay them to sleep.

With my parents putting my brother and sister to sleep, I had some time for myself. I grabbed the little book I'd started reading recently, and read until it was my own bed time.

I walked the small distance to my room, and laid down on my bed. I thought about why my father was acting so strangely when he had returned form his three-year long retreat in the war. _He… he acted as if he didn't wanna see me, or the family. No one except Mom. It makes no sense. If any of us had been gone for three years, I would think that he would be at least somewhat happy to see the one of us that had left. He changed immensely since the last time I saw him. Not only his looks, but his personality. He grew so much colder than he had been when he left…. None of it adds up. Something seems wrong, and I will find out what. Perhaps a direct approach? Or hint at it? Or, possibly, try to make him feel so guilty that he'll decide to confess. I don't know…._

With that, I went to sleep, thinking of ways for me to find out why my father was acting so strangely.

**.:xXx:.**

"Akira, get up, Hon…!" my mother called from outside of my door. I heard her footsteps gradually decrease in sound, then stop completely at my siblings' door. I heard her tell them the same thing she had told me, then walk down the hall to do the laundry, probably.

After about twenty minutes or so of me contemplating getting up, I finally did get up. I walked over to the small window parallel to my bed, and looked outside. _Yet another rainy day…._ I thought. _What a pain…._

When I had finally mustered up the energy to get out of my room, I went automatically to the family room. I heard my parents talking quietly in the kitchen, and knew almost instantly that they were talking about something having to do with the war.

"—Hard times, Umi." I heard my father say as I snuck closer to the door to try to listen in on their conversation. "Why else do you think I forced them to let me come home?"

_Force…?!_ I thought in disbelief. I leaned in a bit closer.

"Don't do this to yourself, Izumo. You never had to leave the war!" my mother said, almost pleadingly. "I thought you left to a life sentence. So, that being the case, why are you here right now?"

I heard my father chuckle darkly a bit. "Because, Umi, I never had a purpose in life. Not when I was born, not growing up, not ever." his tone darkened now, "Especially since I became a shinobi. Life has been so much worse for me since that day. I never want our kids to have to go through what I had to suffer. That is why I left to the war. I did it to protect this family. I had high hopes that it would finish me off."

I stood up now, knowing that I had heard enough. I walked into the kitchen innocently, grabbing an apple as I went over to my parents to give them each a hug in turn.

My mother smiled warmly at me. "Good morning, dear. What would you like for breakfast?"

I shrugged. "This apple's enough for me, thank you."

She turned to the family room. "Shikyo, Miki, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Pancakes!!" they said together.

She smiled. "Okay. They should be done in a few minutes."

I sat on the floor, in front of the table, putting my bitten apple on the tabletop, and sat quietly, half-expecting my parents to forget me siting right in front of them and start talking like they had a moment ago. The only thing I saw were a few dark looks from my mother in my father's direction, and vise-versa.

I had to get my father in a room alone with me, but I knew that would be difficult. I had no idea how I was going to do it.

"Well, I need to go see what I can do about work, so I guess I'll leave you all alone for a little while." my mother said as she was putting the plates with the pancakes on them onto the table. "Can I trust that you will all behave for your father?"

The three of us kids nodded, and I knew this was fate giving me the chance to find out what was wrong with my father. _This is absolutely perfect! I'll take him into another room while Shikyo and Miki are playing, and interrogate him._ I smiled in my slightly evil way.

"What's that look for, Akira?" I heard Shikyo ask, his mouth full of pancake.

"Nothing, nothing. I just had a quick… thought is all." I said, turning to my little brother and knowing that my father's eyes were boring into the back of my head, and I knew that he had them narrowed to thin slits. "Now, Father, may I speak to you in the other room for a moment?" I asked, turning to him.

He seemed a bit surprised, but said, "Of course. When the young ones are done eating, you may speak to me."

I narrowed my eyes a bit. "Fine…."

Shikyo and Miki ate slower that usual, it seemed, and I was thankful that they had finally finished.

My father and I walked down the short hallway to an empty room that we used for the guest room if anybody ever stayed in our home overnight.

"Okay, what do you need to speak with me about?" he asked as he closed the door and turned the lights on.

"I wished to ask you something." I said. He nodded, and I continued. "Father…. Why were you so… distant… when you got home yesterday?"

"I was simply tired. Nothing more to that." he answered immediately.

I narrowed my eyes, knowing that that was not the case, but let it go.

**.:xXx:.**

The next week or so with my father home had been rather abnormal. At first, it was just as it had been when he had first arrived. After that, however, he started to get increasingly distant, though it didn't seem possible. He played with the little ones less, and spoke less as well. With each passing day, he seemed colder to us than he had ever been. My mother took no notice of this, however, and said that it was my paranoia acting up again. She had never been nearly this inattentive before about something, and always listened to me when I needed something. This was so much different. She kept saying that she needed to 'go look for a job', and I didn't believe it. I had no idea what she was out doing, but to be quite honest, I wasn't so sure I wanted to know for certain.

The next Thursday, when I woke up, I could feel something strange in the air. The air felt almost heavy with anticipation and extreme suspense. I had had this feeling before, and I knew hat when the air felt heavy like this, something bad was going to happen. However, the air had never felt like this, as far as I was concerned. I didn't like it at all, but ignored it and hoped it would pass.

We had just finished eating dinner, and were in the living room talking, when suddenly, there was a huge crash at the door. My father, being the 'hero' that he claimed to be, went to check it out, and it was a good thing my mother had some type of ninja training.

"Umi! Stay and protect the kids!" my father yelled. I heard voices that I didn't recognize, and I knew immediately what was happening.

"What's going on, Izumo?!" my mother called back as she took Shikyo, Miki, and I behind her and she took out a kunai.

My father didn't answer, but I knew he hadn't been killed… yet. I still heard the strange voices. I could sense my father's Chakra.

My mother, frantic about this break-in, ran towards the kitchen where my father was. "Akira. Can I trust you to look out for your brother and sister?" she asked sternly.

I nodded. "Of course."

She nodded as well. "I have to see if your father's okay. I will be fighting next to him, so stay put!"

I nodded again as she ran off to the kitchen to fight alongside my father.

Minutes later, I was left panic-stricken. It had only hit me just then that I was left to defend my beloved brother and sister, with no ninja training at all. I thought about taking myself away from this at that exact moment, but was directed back by my conscience. It was a good thing, too, because I wouldn't want to leave my siblings alone when our parents were wrapped up in a fight with ninjas who had just broken into our home.

I watched and waited, expecting an enemy ninja to burst through the door to the kitchen or the window or something.

With my incredibly advanced sense of hearing, I listened to their heartbeats. I could, at this moment, only hear three hearts beating. One of the four that were fighting… had died. I could also hear the shallow breathing of the ones that were alive. I only recognized one of them. That meant that one of my parents were the one that had died. I couldn't hear my mother's breathing. _MOM!!!!!_, I thought, not wanting to scare the little ones. One heartbeat was getting slower. _Dad…!!_, I thought in horror. He was about to die, I could hear it. I could also hear the heartbeats of the enemy ninja gradually getting slower, until they finally faded away. The only sound left was the gradually slowing beat of my father's old, worn down heart, and Shikyo's, Miki's, and my own shallow breaths and strong, fast heartbeats.

"Mommy?" Shikyo called. "Daddy?"

Silence.

"Oh, God…!" I breathed. I turned to he younger ones. "Shikyo, Miki, what we have just witnessed was the… extermination of our parents. We are now what they call 'war orphans'. We will be left to fend for ourselves, fight to protect each other, and it will not be easy, I will assure you that right now."

They both nodded, and I knew my work now would be much harder that it had been before.

"But first… I want to investigate. You know, see… the outcome of this battle." I said. "I want you two to stay here. If anyone comes that I do not hear, call my name. Make no noise other than that."

They nodded, and with that, I walked slowly and warily walked into the small kitchen, now with bloodstained walls to remind me of this tragedy that had just befallen my siblings and I. I looked around, though all I saw was the walls, bloodstained. Then, I looked at the floor, and gasped. There lay my parents, covered in blood, holes in their clothing and skin from the kunai, and unmoving. It was a horrible sight, and I was glad that Shikyo and Miki hadn't come with me. If they had, they probably would have fainted, and with me not knowing any medical ninjutsu, I would have no clue as to what I would be doing. I was absolutely clueless right now about whether or not I was supposed to do—bring the little ones in, or just go back out to them and tell them?

I walked back out into the small living room, and saw another sight that I wish were not real.

"I have no idea what happened! She just…. She just collapsed in my arms…!" Shikyo said in shock when I entered the room.

I ran over to the two of them and took Miki from Shikyo's arms. She was very warm.

"Shikyo… we are alone. It is up to us two to make sure that the three of us stay together and well. Do you understand?"

He nodded. "But… Onii-Chan… what's it look like in there…?"

I lowered my head. "It was a true bloodbath. The walls are stained with blood." I looked down at Miki. "We should get her into bed. She's fallen ill."

**.:xXx:.**

I was startled awake by a cough from Shikyo. "Sorry, Onii-Chan," he whispered, obviously trying not to wake Miki.

"It's all right. What I need to do is — oh!" I was startled by a very loud sound that didn't sound like it came from anywhere outside of this room. "Miki, oh, God, no…! No, don't die! Please, Miki, live…!!! Please…!"

I watched Miki in her small bed that I had made from a few blankets I found around the house. I was sure that the look on my face was a look of sheer terror, and I knew that I probably looked horrid. I didn't care. My sister was about to die, I could feel it.

Moments of silence later, I heard only two heartbeats. My own and Shikyo's. Miki had died.

I felt a tear roll down the side of my pale cheek, and I hugged Shikyo tight.

"It'll be all right, Akira." he tried to comfort me, though it didn't work that well.

"No…. No it won't, Shikyo. Just try to get some rest. You're sick, too." I said to him, reluctantly letting him go.

"You're right." he said. "I'm really tired, too."

He crawled back into his little makeshift bed that was between mine and Miki's — what used to be hers, anyway.

I did the same as he, crawling into my own bed, and stared at the ceiling for a very long time before I was aware of the silence. Not the same silence filled with the same sadness hat I had just faced, but true silence — other than my heart, which was beating very quickly with fright. That was when I had realized that I was truly alone. Both of my siblings had died, within an hour of each other. That was when I started to panic. I began hyperventilating. My palms grew sweaty, and I knew I would have to leave before I was found. I didn't want anybody to think that I had murdered my family. The problem was, though, that I had nowhere to go.

I left the house, my dead family, and my painful memories, and walked down the street. I had no place to go, and I knew that if I just walked up to some random stranger and asked if I could live with them, it wouldn't sound quite right. I knew that I would have to stay outside of a building. Possibly work for some shop in return for sleeping either outside of or in the shop.

I walked up and down the street for hours until, finally, a nice-looking elderly woman sitting inside of her shop that appeared to sell dumplings stopped me. "Excuse me, young lady, if I may ask, why are you walking up and down this street? I've seen you do it numerous times, and I was just wondering if I could do anything to help."

"Oh, well, my parents and brother and sister have died, and I have nowhere to go. Would you happen to know where I would be able to sleep? ...for free, perhaps…?" I asked.

"Well, if you would be willing to work for me, I could allow you to sleep here," the lady said.

My face lightened up. "Oh, really…? That would truly be wonderful, ma'am. Thank you very much."

She smiled. "My pleasure, darling. Now, first thing's first. We need to get you something to eat."

I smiled, and knew I was in good hands.

**_Okay, so, review, because I want to know what I can do to improve my writing!!!!!~_**

**_=D_**


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